No time for science fairs?

As I scan through the news looking for interesting tidbits for this blog, I commonly see quite a few articles about science fairs throughout the state. So, I had not idea that science fair participation for the upper grades is declining.

TAMPA – While hundreds of students gathered Monday to show off the top science fair projects in Hillsborough County, many high school students opted to skip the event because of increasing demands in other school areas.

More than 900 students competed at this year’s Hillsborough Regional Science & Engineering Fair, but only 28 were high school students. The majority came from elementary schools, where projects often are done in class.

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Although the science fair is expected to foster competition among the best and brightest in the county, many of the top-performing students are less likely to participate because of increased workloads elsewhere, teachers say.

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The top projects from participating schools go on to the regional competition. Of the 28 high school students who attended the regional fair this year, nearly half were from Chamberlain High, where students are required to create a science fair project. Chamberlain sophomore Sarah Eller said that if it weren’t for the requirement, she probably wouldn’t be in the competition.

“I really like science, but with all the work from my Advanced Placement courses, it’s hard to find the time outside of school,” Eller said.